The art of teaching Chinese: Less is more

The art of teaching Chinese: Less is moreHeidi Steele and Dennis TannerMandarin in Schools ConferenceJanuary 30, 2016

5C

--

Rachael Kessler: The Soul of Education

Personal BelongingSilence and SolitudeReflections on LifeJoy and PlayCreativityLinking to the LargeShape the Passages

Think about 5 Cs, think about use of authentic materials, think about task-based learning, but in the context of what their

Pass out handouts, show book.

personal belonging(Input Flood)Survey)Class Meetings)(Student Newsletters)

Give students a flood of comprehensible input (interpretive), but keep the focus on the meaning (content), not on the vocabulary and grammar. Drag vocabulary and grammar along as you give them the input. Your (hidden) goal is to have them learn the vocabulary and grammar, but they will learn it better if it feels to them like the goal is related to the content. It is almost like youre tricking the students into learning the vocabulary/grammar.One strategy is to give them test at the end, but test is on the content, not on the vocabulary or grammar.After the input flood phase, move to communicative activities.Input Flood

They all know their numbers well.They have had one lesson on telling time, simply using a clock. (http://www.time-for-time.com/swf/myclox.swf)They dont know any of the verbs I will use.Ask them to take notes on content as theyre listening. Dont tell them to listen for time words. Let this happen naturally. Tell them there will be a test afterward. You can make this playful.As youre reviewing slides, dont make a big deal about the times, but repeat them in the sentences a lot of times.Add fun, interesting things about the pictures along the way. Banter with the students about each photograph. Use your expressions and body language to keep it engaging.

My goal is for them to learn where time words go into a sentence, but I dont tell them that.

8

6:00

6:15

6:30

6:45

7:00

7:30

Have students work in pairs. Give each pair a set of the photographs in the slides. When you ask the test question, they hold up the correct photograph. You are not requiring them to produce the action words. Mime each action as needed, so they dont even need to understand the action words totally. Sample questions:What did Gaelan do at 7:20(Students hold up photograph of Gaelan brushing teeth.)What did Gaelan do at 7:45(Students hold up picture of Gaelan eating breakfast.)Note: I am not asking What time did Gaelan do questions. The focus is on the activities, not the times.Students think theyre being tested on the action words, but really youre helping them to acquire the language used to tell time. They learn the time words because they need them to accomplish the task of remembering what Gaelan did.

Students think theyre being tested on the action words (get up, make the bed, brush teeth, get dressed, eat breakfast, leave for school), but really youre helping them to:

Acquire the vocabulary needed to tell time. Acquire an understanding of where time words go in a sentence.They hear many repetitions of these two things without feeling like they are practicing.They are engaged in a real task, and its connected to them because the pictures are of their teachers son.Input Flood

Dennis jumps in.

Put survey questions up on the board (a chart works well) and review with students to make sure they all understand all of the questions. Use a line-up or concentric circles to have each student interview and be interviewed several times. As students are interviewing each other, roam the room, listen, and facilitate. When needed, stop the entire class to make a clarification, suggestion, or correction, and then keep going.Summarize by asking for show of hands and writing answers into table. Discuss results.